This is a very rare occasion where I got our power drill out but not without my husband’s supervision mind. Me being left alone with power tools would be asking for trouble when I could probably wound myself in a padded cell. Please do take a moment to appreciate my creepy double jointed thumb in the image below.

How to make a simple wall clock – Step 2

To make…

Measure and mark the centre point point on your wooden chopping board with your pencil and ruler.

Consider a stable surface to drill on where you will able to go all the way through. I laid the chopping board on two of our flat chairs with a gap in between. Drill the centre point the whole way through, holding steady.

Cut a strip of the black leather to the length you want. Try holding it on the chopping board to see how long you need it. Trim the edges neatly and then make a hole in either end using the leather punch. Make sure the punch size fits the brass screws that will eventually go in.

Then mark on the chopping board edge, where you want each screw to be fixed. I did this halfway on either side. At this stage use your drill again, with a smaller drill bit just to ever so slightly drill these points. This will give a small dip for your screws, making it much easier for them to go in.

Place one leather end over the drilled dip, place your screw in and twist with a screw driver until the screw is flush to the leather (leather secure between the wood and the screw). Repeat on the other side.

Thread your clock mechanism through the central hole in the chopping board and follow the instructions you received to put it all together with the hands. There will usually be a washer you need to tighten to stop it all coming apart.

Get yourself a battery and hang your clock in pride of place!

How to make a simple wall clock – Step 3

All those tools might sound a little intimidating but if I can do it, you guys definitely can! It’s simple, chic and will be a welcome addition to any room. I’m so looking forward to sharing another affordable home tip with you tomorrow!

You Need

Instructions

1. Choose your record. I chose records that had colourful branding because they would be the only colour and detail on my wall clock.

You will need an old LP, a clock movement with hands.

2. If you wanted to add detail to the LP/clock face, numbers, dots or dashes, you would add them to the face before you add the movement. I liked the face of the record plain so I skipped straight to the next step.

3. Find a clock movement. You can buy these from craft stores or you can pick up secondhand clocks and use their movements. They are usually pretty easy to access.

The movement slips through the hole in the middle of the LP.

4. If your movement doesn’t come with hands you’ll need to find some you like, or if you’re super keen make your own. They are sized to fit over different levels over the movement.

5. Since the records already have a hole right in the centre it was super easy to slip the movement through. It was a squeeze but with some twisting it slipped through and sat about a centimetre off the LP.

Make sure the movement is secure and working.

6. The hands I had came with the movement so they looped right over the top. I tested the hands to make sure they moved freely without knocking each other or touching the record face and had to bend some of them to give them room.

7. Once the hands are secured you can add your battery and watch it tick! Check that everything works by watching a complete cycle.

Secure the hands, add your battery an set the time.

8. There were no hooks on my movement but there is space to add one or you can stick some heavy duty removable tape to the back and hang it that way.

How To Turn An Old LP Into Unique Wall Clock Final

Additional Notes:

The LPs do attract dust but they are easy enough to clean. If you want a smaller unique wall clock try an old 45 or CD.

Instructions:

2. Measure the center of your cork trivet to determine where the clock hands should be placed. Mark this point with an “X” and drill a hole with your power tool large enough to fit the clock part. Wipe away any debris.

3. Tape off your cork trivets to create the shapes you want to paint on your clock and smooth out to prevent any color bleeding.

4. Paint each complementary color in the desired shape on your cork trivet.

5. Mix your complementary colors together until colors are well blended. Paint new third color in the desired shape on your cork trivet. Let dry. Add two or three coats of paint depending on the color.

6. Once clocks have dried, slowly peel away tape away from the cork trivet. Use your paint brush to touch up any spaces you’d like more filled in.

7. Assemble clocks by inserting clock back and hands on each clock. Now it’s ready to hang on your wall!

How to make Color Block Wall Clock – Step 1

First off, we’re going to change up each clock color. Take just the hands out of each kit and spray paint whichever color you like. We went with black, white, and left one pair gold.

How to make Color Block Wall Clock – Step 2

Next up, you’ll need to use a drill to make holes in each trivet for your clock. Use a ruler to measure the center of each trivet. Drill there!

How to make Color Block Wall Clock – Step 3

Now it’s time to get creative. Use painter’s tape to make geometric designs, stripes, and the like. As you can see in the background, we used a spare piece of cork to test out our color palettes and designs. You can also do this on a piece of paper.

How to make Color Block Wall Clock – Step 4

For our first color combo, we’ll combine blue and yellow green to make teal!

How to make Color Block Wall Clock – Step 5

Next up, orange and aqua green. How cool is the gray color that results?

How to make Color Block Wall Clock – Step 6

Last, red and light blue violet. Don’t forget to paint those sides! We recommend doing 2-3 coats of paint, depending on the color.

How to make Color Block Wall Clock – Step 7

Now the best part ever. The peel and reveal! Peel off the tape and revel at those clean lines and bright color blocks. Use a paint brush to fill in any gaps as needed.

How to make Color Block Wall Clock – Step 8

Okay, maybe this is the best part ever?

How to make Color Block Wall Clock – Step 9

It seriously takes 2 minutes to assemble a clock. Don’t be surprised if you find yourself gifting clocks to all of your friends and family after making this project.

How to make Color Block Wall Clock – Step 10

And there you have it!

How to make Color Block Wall Clock – Final

If you’ve got loved ones in far away places, you could also make each clock a different time zone, a la our Hoop Clocks.

How to make Color Block Wall Clock – Overall

Which color combo is your favorite?

What does your workspace look like? Any DIY projects on the wall or on your desk? Tell us in the comments below.